Where does rice come from? When her peers asked this question, purely out of ignorance, Nisthula P S, a class five student of Senior Basic School, Meppayil in Kozhikode, answered it with a difference.
To make the process clear for her friends she produced Nelkrishi, a documentary on traditional paddy cultivation. Now the 30-minute documentary on farming is a major hit among the students of Vadakara educational district. Nisthula, hailing from Vadakara, was shocked to learn that her friends had no knowledge about paddy cultivation, which was once a major income generator for Keralites.
“Since I come from a family of farmers, farming is not something new to me, but spreading the message to my friends was a Herculean task,” says the girl, who has dubbed and sang for the film produced by her father.
Thanking her father E Sivadasan, a homoeo doctor, she says, “It took almost two years to make the documentary. My father was very much interested in spending time with me during the pre-production, production and post-production phases.”
Kallana Kandi Narayanan, her maternal grandfather guided her to get a first hand experience on paddy cultivation in his paddy field. The 10-year-old girl visited farmlands in Cheruvannur and mingled with farmers to note down their experience.
“Many students called up and thanked me for producing such a documentary. We never thought that the documentary would get such an acceptance among teachers and students,” says her mother Prasanna.
According to Nisthula, students should get a first hand experience of things. Only then can they creatively present it on answersheet and before others.
“All my teachers and friends, including Anunanda, Anuvinda and Anwaya, stood by me to complete the project,” she says. “Teachers have high opinion about the little girl. She adopts her own methods to understand lessons even at school,” says Dinil, her English teacher.
Nisthula, who aspires to be a dancer and a homoeo doctor, says film direction is definitely on her cards.